Feeling art in alley gallery

By Agnes Yu

A group exhibition called Tactophilia will take place starting Friday on Aug. 19 at Gallery Golmok in Seoul.

Held in conjunction with Taomina, a collective of international artists and designers, this show includes visual and tactile artwork by Sven Schelwach of Germany, Jason Mehl, and Craig MackIntosh both from the U.S. and Korea’s own Jamie Yang.

Creativity has many outlets and for artistic foreigners in Korea the ability to share their artwork and inspire each other allows them to benefit in more ways while living abroad.

The four artists first met through the initial common hobby of rock-climbing. Soon they discovered a second similarity in their creative spirits and began collaborating in November 2010.

Tactophilia is their interpretation of the haptic or a hands-on exploration and interpretation of form. Texture, lighting, material, and shape all play equally important roles when creating their pieces.

Schelwach, the founder of Taomina, said, ``The human hand is the sole conduit between the artist and art work. Without the sense of touch these works would not exist. Tactile intuition was vital to the process.’’

Simple forms, clear lines and organic influences are evident in the pieces of furniture, fine art and sculptures. For the artists, creating art is more than about providing just a visual experience. It’s also about understanding and appreciating through touch.

Schelwach says the objective is to bridge cultural differences and collaborate with artists from different countries such as Canada, USA, Germany and South Korea. Taomina organizes a variety of gallery shows and is available to do commissioned works as well.

As a venue, Gallery Golmok has several exhibition rooms, a café/restaurant and a welcoming front yard. It recently opened and is owned by Jin Seong Park.

Tactophilia will run until Sept. 4. For more information on Gallery Golmok, call 02-792-2967. Visit www.taomina.com for more information on the artists.